During subsea well completions, production tree components are landed in place onto previously installed well components. For example, a blowout preventer or stack of blowout preventers (BOP) is landed onto a wellhead or a previously installed production tree. Likewise, the production tree is landed onto a previously installed wellhead. During the landing process, the production tree components must be mated in a subsea environment in which ocean currents and rig movements create forces on the component to be landed. These surrounding forces create a risk of damage to the components to be mated, for instance the BOP, production tree or wellhead gasket, or the stub (male component) that mates with the BOP or production tree connector. Because of this risk, rig time is often spent waiting for these forces to subside before proceeding with landing the equipment. Equipment may also be damaged requiring replacements and associated delays.
There exists a need for systems and methods providing greater assurance that the stub and the connector are aligned when mating subsea production tree components, particularly in such a way as to reduce rig time.